


Duty

by LiliacLacat



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force-Sensitive Hux, M/M, Not Canon Compliant but just something I want to see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-06 09:15:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13408107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiliacLacat/pseuds/LiliacLacat
Summary: "Why do you have a lightsaber? You. You, of all people...”---After the death of Snoke, Kylo Ren is surprised to discover his is not the only Force Sensitive that the Supreme Leader had been training. Now they will either work together or end up killing one another in an attempt to lead the First Order to victory and finally crush the Resistance once and for all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because I refuse to believe I'm the only person who thought Hux was going for a lightsaber (instead of his blaster) in that scene...

The ship was in pieces. Actual pieces. This was a disgrace to everything the Order stood for. Fewer than half the crew remained at their posts. No doubt the weaker ones had scattered away, nauseated by the smell of burning wreckage. Even for the midst of a battle, this was disgraceful. Not that Hux could be too surprised. He had heard what happened. Whispers had circulated on commlinks and even official channels since her arrival.

The Girl.

What was it he had heard? She arrived unescorted. She chose to come to Ren. Willingly. Of course that idiot would be too overjoyed to realize this was some sort of ruse. And what was it that he did? Ren, of course, brought her straight to the Supreme Leader. He didn't even considering her motives or the fact that she was likely to be his replacement. Idiot.

The throne room was somehow in even worse shape than the rest of the ship. It didn't make sense. The attack hadn't even touched this part of the ship -sensor reports indicted no direct impact to this area- and yet everything here was in ruins. The smell was beginning to seep in as well. It smelled like death. Almost in response, what remained of the Supreme Leader slid to the floor with a sickening squelch. Ah, and that would be why. How wonderful.

Hux let his eyes linger for a moment as he studied the corpse. No blood; no mess. Elegant. Not that he needed that little clue to tell him the weapon used in this attack. It was clear that whatever plans the Supreme Leader had went as well as Kylo Ren's did. It was almost a shame.

Still, this wasn't something he had expected. At least not so soon. Yes, he always thought Kylo Ren would betray the Supreme Leader and the Order, but his personal timetable placed the desertion roughly two years off still. The funniest thing was that the Supreme Leader didn't share that concern. He had called it paranoia when it was first brought up to him, but that clearly was not the case. Snoke told Hux time and time again what his purpose was. What was it the Supreme Leader had said?

 _You know I don't trust him. It's how it goes. Master trains Apprentice; Apprentice kills Master. It was true for the Sith, but I took precautions to ensure it won't be true here. That's why I have you. Kylo Ren may be my Apprentice, but you'll serve a different purpose. You will help to keep him in line, to keep me safe. I trust you will always do your duty._ Even still the words echoed through his head.

The more time he spent investigating the room, the greater the risk was that something would happen to him. Hux knew that. Besides that, there wasn't much else he needed to see. One... two... all eight guards down, Snoke split in half, and Kylo Ren... unconscious. Wasn't that an interesting sight? No one else here and the only living person wasn't in the best state himself.

Somehow it seemed unlikely that one girl -and an untrained one at that- could do all this. His mind kept circling back to that last detail of the scene. Kylo Ren. Unconscious. He let out a sigh.

“Of course,” Hux muttered to himself. At least it would be easier this way, faster too. Kylo Ren had dragged down productivity the entire time he was in the Order. It was almost funny that his death would be the most efficient thing he'd participated in. He almost wished he could draw this out and savor it, but duty came first. And duty demanded this of him.

Taking a small breath, Hux took a step forward, fingers twitching as he reached down for his weapon. He was about to open his mouth and say the words he'd repeated countless times before. _'On the authority of the Supreme Leader, you have completed crimes against his rule and blah blah...'_ Before he could actually get a single word out, Kylo moved and let out a small groan. So much for efficiency.

Hux's hand immediately dropped to his side. The execution would still need to happen. There were orders. Demands. A voice still whispering in the back of his mind, calling out to him. _'Do your duty. Do your duty.'_ There was a chance, though, he would be able to get some useful information out of Ren before he dispatched him. After all, the girl did not appear to be anywhere here and she must have had a part to play in all this.

Even so, Hux drummed his fingers on the outside of his coat, eager to get this over with. Information first; execution second. It should be simple enough. To his credit, Hux was willing to wait until Kylo began to stand before speaking to him. “What happened here?”

“The Girl.” If he could only get a credit every time Ren brought her up, Hux would be able to retire with honors as a very rich man. It was a nice thought. “She killed the Supreme Leader and fled in his shuttle.” Kylo growled out the words, wincing as he got to his feet. It was obvious the pair had parted on less than pleasant terms. Hux couldn't completely suppress his own enjoyment over this. As he got to his feet, Kylo slid his gaze down to Hux's hand where it was hovering. His shoulders tensed for a moment as his frown deepened. Hux wasn't certain if he was skilled enough to use his gifts to sense out intent, but it would be wise to distract him regardless.

“My word. And she managed to do all this by herself? She must be the single most powerful force user we've come across.” Kylo must not think much of Hux if that was the sort of bantha-shit he was going to try and pass off as the truth. At least that meant that Hux didn't need to hide how laughable he found the whole thing to be.

And Kylo didn't even bother to try and correct his feeble excuse or add anything else on. If that was all he was going to get out of the other man, there was no point in delaying this any longer. And the twinge in his head was spurring him on to deal with the situation. Immediately. He needed to get back to his work elsewhere.

Hux stood up straight and cleared his throat before starting again. “On the authority of the Supreme Leader, you have-”

He didn't get any further than that though. Hux was in the midst of reaching for his weapon when he felt the clip on his belt loosen. It flew between them before he could react. Hux moved in an attempt to swipe it, but it was too late.

Watching Kylo's face, Hux knew he was beginning to piece everything together. Kylo's near murderous expression shifted into one of surprise and confusion. Then nothing but shock as his eyes snapped back to Hux. He almost looked... betrayed. That was unexpected.

He turned the weapon in his hand from one angle to another. It was as though Kylo was taking his time examining it on the off chance his eyes were deceiving him. There was a moment of tense silence before Kylo let out a weak, almost broken laugh. His eyebrows raised, as he gestured back towards Hux with the hilt. “Why- What- Why do you have a lightsaber? You. You, of all people...”

Of course that's what he was dwelling on, the ridiculous child. Special Kylo Ren and his special lightsaber. He couldn't stand the fact that he wasn't the only one. Hux would have snapped something out, but he was currently unarmed and that made this less than ideal time for any sort of conflict. Especially not when he could still feel the push to do his duty.

“I-”

“You were about to kill me,” Kylo blurted out, interrupting Hux for a second time. It seems it took a moment for his brain to catch up to the situation. That wasn't enough to stop him from shooting a glare at Hux's direction as he stepped back. He hadn't let go of the hilt though, hadn't even loosened his grip.

“The term is execute,” Hux corrected him; he couldn't help himself. His hand was still outstretched in an grasping motion. The lightsaber twitched once in Kylo's hand, but was unable to slip free or even move much more than that. “And you will return my weapon now.”

“Why do you have a lightsaber?” This time when Kylo repeated the question, he was more calm than Hux expected. His eyes had only left the device once. It was like he'd never seen one before in his life. It was strange that he was not panicking though. Hux almost wished he were shouting or breaking something. At least then the situation would feel more familiar to him. After all, Hux might be a tad more inclined to worry if someone had tried to kill him. Especially if it was the one person he fought with more than anyone else. If there was any time destroying something would be warranted, this was it. Not that there was much remaining in this disaster of a room that wasn't already broken or crumbling.

It was a strange situation when Kylo Ren was the more reasonable one and Hux, for one, did not like it. He flexed his fingers again, trying one last time to get his saber back. Finally he dropped his hand with a huff.

“The Supreme Leader gave it to me. How else?” Hux gestured back to towards the bisected body on the floor in front of the throne to only further make his point. “Speaking of, I _will_ be executing you for treason at the very least if you don't tell me what actually happened here.” Hux scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “The girl... like I would really believe that.”

This was going to dissolve into a shouting match at any moment. They could both feel it in the air. It was heavy; heated. It could have been exhaustion or that there had been enough fights for one day, but Kylo nodded in agreement. He held the lightsaber back out to Hux. “If I give you this, do I have your word you won't kill me?”

That soft voice was scratching at the back of his mind, whispering to him again. _'Take it. Do your duty.'_

“No.”

 

* * *

 

“I am trying to be reasonable,” Kylo said, shooting a glare back at him. His grip around the lightsaber tightened as a precaution. If something did happen, it would be wise to be the only one armed enough to handle it. “Give me your word that you won't kill me. Now.”

“You have never been reasonable a day in your life. And you're hardly in any position to demand things of me. Who do you think you are?” It was already a tense situation and Hux was still looked like he was on the verge of laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing was. He looked over Ren, clearly upset but not posed to attack. Hux walked back over to Snoke's body, grabbing a small pouch from the corpse. That was curious. Kylo tried to reach out, see if he could sense something, but there didn't seem to be any unusual pull emanating from it.

Hux examined it with a nod before turning his attention back to Kylo. “So, I answered your question...”

Kylo’s jaw clenched almost as tight as the fist at his side. How did he end up out of control of the situation? He killed the Supreme Leader; destroyed his guard. He should be ruling the Order right now, not dealing with an interrogation. The thought crossed his mind to just pin this whole thing on Rey. Double down and insist that he wasn't lying. It wasn’t like she was here. But there was already too much to deal with, having to keep track of lies on top of all that would be too much. He shot Hux a venomous look.

“Fine. I killed him. Then Rey and I killed the guards together. But she turned on me. We fought. She… she won. And fled.” The last part was spat out through his teeth. Kylo could already predict was Hux’s response was going to be.

“Is that right? So, two-naught in her favor then? You need to stop losing to the same person over and over. It’s getting embarrassing.” He actually did let out a small laugh at that. Of course he did. “It seems the Supreme Leader did bet on the wrong person, didn’t he?”

“I am the Supreme Leader!” The words left Kylo’s mouth before he could catch himself. There was no plan; there was only the need to snap something out and hope that would shut Hux up. Even if it was only for a moment. He knew before that he would need Snoke out of the way if he was to rule. This changed things though. With Hux here like this, stronger than he had expected, Kylo wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“Are you now?” Hux’s tone was ice cold and the room felt like it had responded in turn. The air seemed heavier, weighted down by a chill of its own.

Before Hux seemed amused; he had even laughed. But all that vanished after Kylo had opened his mouth. The only sound in the room now was the echo of footsteps as Hux stepped forward. Now dangerously close, a small wave of panic ran over Kylo and he squared his shoulders. It wasn't likely Hux was going to start a fight, but he couldn't be sure.

“What exactly is it that makes you think you would be the one to inherit his throne? Twenty minutes ago, you lost a fight to someone less trained than you. Five minutes ago, you had no idea what I was capable of. Can you imagine what you don't know now? Your lack of knowledge and foresight would only lead us to ruin. I am destined to be his true successor. Not you.”

He didn’t want to admit that Hux might have something of a point. Five minutes ago, he didn’t know anything and he still wasn't sure of everything Hux was capable of. There were things Snoke had never bothered to or refused to teach Kylo. At that moment, he felt warning creeping up his spine. There was a looming fear that those same gaps that might not be true of the man standing in front of him. That they might not be missing from his training. Besides that, he was still aching in pain from the earlier battle. Kylo could feel his body ache and he knew he wasn’t in the best shape to fight anyone.

It was a fortunate thing for him that the ground shook when it did. The rumble of the ship caused them both to stumble and try to keep steady.

“What’s happening?” Kylo glanced around, eyes darting between different bits of rubble and debris. They had done some damage to the throne room earlier, but not enough to break or destabilize the ship. He’d done worse himself when the mood set in. Even the force from the lightsaber cracking couldn’t do this. As far as he knew.

“The Resistance.” Hux spat out the words, grabbing Kylo’s arm and forcing him to up again, dragging him back towards the door. “One pitiful last hurrah of an attack. They’ve exhausted everything else. The annoying thing is that it actually seemed to do something. Come on. We are evacuating and I am not letting you out of my sights yet.” His jaw clenched tight before he spoke again, quieter this time. “I can't. Not until my duty is done.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempers continue to flair as Kylo and Hux both realize how little they really know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I definitely meant to put this out on Friday, but my internet connection had other plans. Rip me. I'll be more regular about this at some point, I swear.

The shuttle was far from cramped. The two of them were the only people on board, but it still didn't feel like there was anywhere near enough space. Kylo had thrown himself down on the lone seating section, stretching out over the whole thing. He likely would have gone to sleep under better circumstances. After everything that happened he was tired enough. He would have if it weren't for Hux. Hux and the looming threat that he would wait until Kylo's guard was lowest and execute him then and there.

At least he had a moment alone with his thoughts. Hux had already sequestered himself to the cockpit. Someone had to man the controls and Kylo wasn't certain which ship they should head to next. So, he at least had some space until the General finished with that. He had no idea exactly how long he was out for earlier, but it didn't really matter, a lot had changed. Kylo had thought he'd made an ally. Instead she betrayed him and fled. He'd struck down his mentor; in that instance he was the betrayer. Then the man he always fought with had tried to kill him. Which wouldn't be that surprising if not for the fact that he was using the Force to do it.

Up until that moment, Kylo could count the number of Force users in the galaxy on his fingers. But with this... how many others didn't he know about? Was Snoke hiding others like Hux in plain sight? He let out a sigh, pinching his nose. The entire situation just became too complicated for him to handle.

His feet began to slide, slipping off the seat and down onto the floor. Kylo didn't even realize he was being guided until he found himself sitting upright. It was more gentle than anything he did or whenever the Supreme Leader used the Force against him.

“Use whatever bad manners you want on your own shuttle, but this one belongs to me. I don't need dirty boot prints where I sit, thank you.” Hux lowered his hand as he stepped through the doorway. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he stared back at Kylo. “Now, you were going to tell me more about what happened back on the Supremacy.”

This again. Figured. Kylo groaned, shooting Hux a look. “Maybe this should wait until after the battle. We have more pressing concerns right now. 

“Battle? Oh, no. That's not going to happen. At least not the way you imagine it. You are refusing to comply and give us information on what that girl of yours is capable of. I am hardly about to send our most valuable down there without all relevant information.”

“Retreat?” Kylo snapped his head back to glower up at Hux. “We can't retreat. We've almost finished this. There can't be more than thirty of them left. I can handle it myself if I have to.”

Hux wrinkled his nose at the sudden outburst, but didn't push back. “We are not in retreat. Just because I'm not sending all of our forces down to the surface does not mean we are in retreat. I've given orders for a few basic trooper squadrons to carry out the assault. The circumstances have changed, so our strategy must as well. The Supreme Leader is dead, out flagship destroyed, and our controlling leadership...” His eyes lingered on Kylo for a moment before his jaw clenched tight and he had to turn away. “It's arguable, let's say.”

Kylo was about to say something else, but Hux raised one hand to silence him before he got any words out. “We need to regroup and come up with the right sort of plan to ensure our victory. No, there aren't that many of them left, but we can't allow ourselves to act too quickly and fail. So, stay seated. Due to a lack of options, we will be returning to the Finalizer. If you have any questions before we dock, you will ask them at a respectable volume.”

He was being reprimanded like a child. Kylo hated it. All his life, people treated him like this. His parents. Skywalker. Snoke. He couldn't stand it, but there were more important things to focus on right now. “So, you've always been..." 

“Yes,” he said, “I'm just as sensitive to the Force as you are, I suppose. Trained differently, but the same potential, the same capabilities. You were never meant to know, of course.”

That stung more than he would have expected. Kylo knew the Supreme Leader kept things from him, but something about this just felt... different. Like he should have known. “But what about-”

“Let's make this easier on both of us,” Hux interrupted. “You answer one of mine and I'll answer one of yours. Besides, I need to make certain I have all the facts in order for the official record. You admit to killing the Supreme Leader. I will need the details.” 

Kylo gave a nod before frowning and half shrugging off the question. “No. Yes. Well, we both did sort of. I killed him, but Rey and I worked together to handle the guards. But what about my knights? I know every one of them. I knew all force sensitives in the galaxy. Or at least I thought I did. Why were you kept secret?”

Hux narrowed his eyes and took a moment before he began to speak. Whatever he told Kylo; it was clear Hux would ensure there wasn't a misstep in his words. “While we both served the Supreme Leader, I had a different purpose than you.” He took a step closer after that, leaning in and sliding one hand over Kylo's wrist. “Are you a traitor? You admit to conspiring with our enemies and killing our leader.”

The contact was a surprise although he recognized the technique. It was much like when Kylo would reach out in his interrogations and pull what he needed from the prisoner's minds. Strange to be on the receiving end though. He could feel himself relaxing. Even though Hux was guiding this along, causing his senses to lull, Kylo couldn't deny that it felt nice. He shook his head after a moment.

“The Order's all I have left,” he admitted. “I'm loyal to the Order, Hux. The problem was the Supreme Leader. The things he-”

“Well, you're not lying and that's enough for now.” He hadn't bothered to remove his glove, but Hux still wiped off his hand as though he had run his fingers through something unpleasant.

Kylo let out a sigh, blowing a loose strand of hair from his face. “Is your turn over? Can I ask my question now?”

“Yes, but just one. We should be docking with the ship soon. We will continue our discussion afterwards.” He stood back up straight, leaning back against the cold durasteel panel.

Right. One question. And once they were back on board the Finalizer, Hux would brush off anything more. After all, he said he had what he needed. Whatever Kylo asked, he knew he had to think and choose the right question.

“What did you take from Snoke's body?" 

Whatever question Hux had been expecting from him, it was not that. His eyes widened for a moment, but that was the only change in expression. Hux's mouth didn't even move, lips held together in a tight line. Anyone else wouldn't be able to tell how much it took him off guard. Kylo was fortunate that he could feel it; like a quick, sharp spike in the Force. 

“What? That's what you want to waste your one question on? Not what I'm planning to tell the Order about you or about how we're going to handle this situation?” Hux scoffed. He glanced down for a moment, trying to smooth down a few non-existent wrinkles in his uniform. “How we plan on dealing with the Resistance? No? You want to know what the stone I took was?” 

Kylo knew he was on the right track when Hux started rambling. He always talked too much when he was nervous. And that slip-up proved it. “A stone? Interesting. I don't remember ever seeing Snoke with anything like that. Tell me more.” It wasn't that he wanted to sound amused, but Kylo couldn't help it. He didn't often fair this well in their verbal sparring matches. He was almost giddy. 

Of course, Hux realized his mistake a moment too late. His hand slipped down to his side, resting over his one pocket. “Figures he wouldn't have used something similar with you.” He rolled his eyes. “Yes, a stone. Something used in my training, almost... personal. And it's _nothing_ you need to concern yourself with.”

The landing gear began to beep in the cockpit and Hux let out a sigh of relief. “Make yourself as presentable as you can. We can't have you destroying crew morale with a slovenly appearance. We aren't through with this yet.”

 

* * *

 

“I don't understand.” She glanced back at him. “They... they were attacking, but-”

“I know,” a tired voice echoed from behind her. “I thought he would be here too. It's hard to believe he'd let others handle this for him. I miscalculated.” 

Rey smiled, turning in the pilot's seat to glance back to Luke. “Maybe he's left. Maybe he-” 

He cut her off with a shake of his head. “You know that's not true. You can sense him as well as I can. Stars, you might be able to sense him better than I can at this point. He's still there. He didn't command this attack for some reason, but he's still there. Just be glad we were able to get as many people out as we did.”

“Next time then. Next time, we'll fight him. And we'll win.” Rey reached out for him and her eyes widened as her hand passed through Luke's. There was a flicker and then he was beginning to fade away.

“Not us. Next time, it'll be you. I thought he would be here and... I was wrong. It's up to you now. You and your friends.”

She didn't get a chance to respond before he finally slipped away. Gone.

 

* * *

 

Colonel Ignem greeted them upon their arrival. It was proper procedure, of course. Hux had left the man in charge of the Finalizer before his departure for the Supremacy. Yet, he didn't have time for any meaningless fawning or adulation at the moment. The matter with Ren required his full attention. For once, Hux did not have time to stand on ceremony.

“Turn around and walk away,” Hux pushed, reaching out with his mind as he spoke. The suggestion might have been a bit stronger than necessary. He could even see Kylo tense up at that. Still, it worked and the Colonel disappeared without even getting his first word out. 

“....how do you do that?”

Hux hadn't expected to hear that. It wasn't quite an admission. No, Kylo hadn't named Hux his better, but it was something. He turned back to face Kylo, scanning his face for any trace of mockery. Mockery was all he got from the other man on a good day.

“It's soft when you use the Force. I can't do that. Anytime I've tried to convince someone of something... it leaves their brain a mess more often than it doesn't.” Kylo shrugged. “You know that. You've seen my interrogations.”

It was strange. His interrogations never seemed to embarrass Kylo before. If fact, he was always so proud. His voice though, it came across as more disappointed. Hux was about to say something to comfort him before feeling a twinge began to creep up the back of his neck. _Stop._ No, this was not the time for such soft things. Without a word, he headed into the conference room. At least if they were to discuss anything here, there would be a modicum of privacy.

“Now then. You've made your case very loudly earlier, but let's be realistic, Ren.” Hux finally turned back to look at him with an appraising glance. “The soldiers will never follow you. Oh, they fear you -I'm not questioning that- but you're a weapon, not a leader.”

With a flick of two fingers a chair slid back towards Kylo. Hux hoped he'd be less inclined towards wanton destruction if he sat. It was a much more civilized way to have discussions after all.

But nothing was going as planned today and this was no different. Kylo took one look at the chair before backhanding it halfway across the conference room. He slammed one hand down onto the table as he pointed back to Hux. “And who do you think should lead? You? No one's going to follow a man without any practical experience. Sure, you've _planned_ things, but I've never seen you lead a single battle from anywhere but the comfort of your ship's bridge.” 

Hux let out a sigh. His eyes drifted from Kylo's hand to his belt, where two lightsabers now hung. It was obvious Kylo was keeping it there to mock him. “That would have a lot more weight to it if you weren't frightened enough to need me disarmed.”

“I disarmed you because you tried to kill me.” Kylo reached down instinctively, hand covering both hilts. “Besides, a lightsaber is more dangerous in the hands of someone with poor training.”

“I know,” he snapped back. “I've seen your work.”

“Fine.”

Perfect. Kylo Ren, ever the hothead. Hux knew it wouldn't take much to get under his skin. Rile him up enough and he'll be begging for a fight. He had to keep himself from smiling as he caught the lightsaber thrown at his head.

“Let's settle this right now. One fight. Winner takes the Order.” Kylo was rolling his shoulders, stretching as he stood up tall.

It was a tempting offer. Especially since he could still see the deep breaths Kylo was trying to hide, the way he favored his one side. He was still injured. Hux turned the lightsaber in his hand as he glanced down at it, the voice whispering in his ear grew louder. _Do it. This is your best chance Do your duty, what you were meant_ _to do._

“Alright.” Hux took off his coat, taking great care as he hung it over the back of his chair. “This shouldn't take too long.”

He raised up the lightsaber, holding it parallel to his face as he took a deep breath. He needed to focus and-

“You're doing that wrong." 

This had to be some sort of trick or something. Hux frowned as he opened his eyes to glance back at Kylo. “Excuse me?”

“Was this how Snoke taught you? Here.” Kylo sat his own saber down on the table before walking over. One hand slid over Hux's before he felt a small shock and pulled back.

“Get off of me,” Hux hissed out. “I don't need your help.” The pain was still pressed into the back of his hand. Wonderful. Even split in half on the floor of a disabled and failing ship, the Supr- Snoke was still able to punish him. And he hadn't even accepted any sort of help. Perfect. 

Kylo let out a huff. “Well, you're holding it like an asshole. If you get hit when it's like that, you'll end up striking yourself in the face.” He paused before turning back and grabbing his own blade. “If I'm going to fight you, I want it to be when you're at your best. That way you have no excuses when you lose. Now, you should... It needs to be held more like this, you see?”

Hux watched Kylo for a moment before shifting back from him. Kylo had acknowledged his weak points. If the other man were to strike, he could likely end this. “Fine. I have minimal practical experience with lightsaber combat. For the most part, it was with practice and training combat. Happy?”

“Not surprised. You're holding it like a practice sword. There are a few...” Kylo's voice trailed off before he looked back up at Hux. “I'll show you. But in exchange, you have to show me how you use the Force like you do. Like a trade.”

“A trade...” Hux repeated. There were things that he could learn from Kylo, yes, but he didn't want to admit to it. Especially when he knew this wouldn't... couldn't be a lasting arrangement. It could only end one way. He knew what he had to do.

“Don't be a dick about it,” Kylo crossed his arms. “One of us is going to end up in charge. This will make sure it's the person better prepared. Stronger.” 

It might have been the inflection in his voice, but Hux knew Kylo thought it would be him. Still, the chance to see what else the Supreme Leader had hidden from him was tempting. It could be worth delaying his duty for a bit. Even if it would make things difficult for him. Hux gave a short nod before re-holstering his saber. 

“I can delay a meeting with High Command by no more than a standard week. We'll need a decision by then,” he said. 

Kylo held out his hand. “Fine. One week. Then one of us takes control and the other has to fall in line.”

Hux tried not to flinch as pain traveled up his arm from their handshake. The sooner they finished with this arrangement; the sooner he could finish what he had to do.

“One week,” Hux said to himself as he turned away.

 


End file.
